News Release                                                   For Immediate Release

                                                                                                June 13, 2005

Public Health steps up fight against tobacco

Local efforts to prevent youth from starting to smoke, to help smokers quit, and to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke have been buoyed by $535,362 provincial funding.

While health units across Ontario received basic funding to support tobacco enforcement and education initiatives, the Grey Bruce Health Unit also received special funding for innovative projects. This is part of the $50 million commitment to the Smoke-Free Ontario Campaign which aims to make all public and workplaces smoke-free by May 2006.

Grey-Bruce received the following financial commitment:

§         $ 133,000 to increase resources and capacity in the public health unit to support the Smoke-Free Ontario Campaign.

§         $184,362 for cessation initiatives, including work-site innovation programs and smoking intervention programs targeted at specific groups that have higher smoking rates or less access to services (such as people with low incomes, people with mental illness, pregnant women, and seniors).

§         $ 218,000 for youth prevention programs, including action alliances, training programs and high school grants that will engage youth in local campaigns to prevent smoking, encourage quitting, reduce second-hand smoke and increase awareness of tobacco issues. 

Helping Smokers Quit:

§         Public Health received funding to develop quit-smoking programs and resources for work sites. 

§         Public Health will also offer programs for smokers who may be unable to access support because of lack of transportation, medical conditions or family commitments.

§         Currently, 18.4 per cent of Grey-Bruce residents over the age of 18 are smokers. A local survey reported that 46 per cent of Grey-Bruce smokers tried to quit in the past year.

Preventing Youth from Starting to Smoke & Supporting Youth Action:

§         A youth worker will be hired to promote “youth action alliances” and youth leaders from Grey and Bruce will be employed through this program.  

§         Public Health will also support local high schools with an annual $1000 grant for tobacco education projects.

§         Enforcement efforts to prevent the sale of tobacco to minors have increased with the new provincial funding.

§         Locally, about 14 per cent of teens are smokers.

“Nine out of 10 smokers begin smoking before the age of 20. Kids start smoking, on average, at age 12 and, if they haven’t started smoking by age 20, chances are they never will,” said Tobacco Control Manager Linda Davies.  “We’d like to stop youth from starting that smoking journey.”
 

“Half of Grey-Bruce smokers tried to quit in the past year.  We’d like to support smokers who want to quit, to get the right counselling and resources to set a quit date,” Davies continued.

The McGuinty government has also introduced the Smoke-Free Ontario Act that will, if passed, ban smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces as of May 31, 2006. This will include restaurants, bars, schools, private clubs, sports arenas, entertainment venues, work vehicles and offices. As well, the legislation contains tougher laws on tobacco sales to minors and the display of tobacco products in retail outlets.

Tobacco use:

§         is the leading preventable cause of premature death, disease and disability in Ontario.

§         kills approximately 16,000 Ontario residents every year (Health Canada 2004) and as many as 7,800 Ontarians die from exposure to second-hand smoke (Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, May 2001).

§         and second-hand smoke can lead to heart disease, lung cancer, other forms of cancer and a variety of respiratory diseases. Second-hand smoke is particularly harmful to children.

For information on quitting smoking, tobacco enforcement or youth projects, call 376-9420 or visit our web site at www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca

- 30 -

Attachments:

1.      Backgrounder

2.      Grey-Bruce Tobacco Statistics

For more information, please contact:

Charlie Bagnato

Chair, Grey Bruce Board of Health

Grey Bruce Health Unit

(519) 881-2223 or (519) 377-0706 (cell phone)